VIBRANT COLORS: LARRY OTOO IN BARCELONA.

By Nii B. Andrews.

It was at the KNUST in the early 1980s that Larry Otoo gained a Masters in African Art and Comparative Literature; he graduated with a Bachelors in Art in 1981.

But he confesses that he has been making art since his childhood; he often got scolded for drawing on walls with charcoal.

Red stall / 2018 / 114cm H x 145cm W / Acrylic on canvas.

Today, Otoo still lives and works in Accra and he paints with a sparse color palette around 3 primaries- blue, yellow and red.

The paintings are large canvases of oil or acrylic which capture the often joyful chaos of African life – festivals, markets, beach scenes.

Blow Jazz / 2019 / 120cm H x 145cm W / Acrylic on canvas .

Otoo also has a predilection for painting musicians – especially jazz musicians. 

He endeavors to capture their complicated rhythms on his canvas; sometimes even a lyrical solo appears to burst forth.

When he paints in black and white (…..or should we say ebony and ivory?), his work reaches a crescendo of mystery as he explores the sculptural idiom with a scholarly elegance and a fresh perspective. 

The gold streaks of jewelry in Market Queens remind us of the economic power and clout of women in the Ghanaian economy.


Market Queens / 2017/ 105cm H x 105cm W / Acrylic on canvas.

Otoo has exhibited in Europe, Asia, America and of course in Africa to enthusiastic acclaim.

It cannot be denied that he is one of the important visual artists of my generation.

His current exhibition is simply entitled VIBRANT COLORS; it runs from April 13 – May 26 at the OAA Gallery in Barcelona, Spain.

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